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| Lucinda Riley | |
Lucinda Riley, the Irish author best known for the Seven Sisters series, died on June 11 after a four-year battle with cancer. She was 56.
In announcing Riley's death, her family noted that in her last four years, she wrote five novels, "and this week, The Missing Sister is Number 1 in book charts across the world." The Missing Sister is the seventh book in the Seven Sisters series.
The family continued: "Lucinda touched the lives of all those she met, and those who turned the pages of her stories. She radiated love and kindness in everything she did, and will continue to inspire us all forever. Above all, Lucinda loved life, and lived every moment to the full.
"In her own words: 'Through the pain and the joy of the journey, I have learnt the most important lesson life can offer, and I am glad of it. The moment is all we have.' "
Riley's books have sold more than 30 million copies and have been particularly popular in the Netherlands, South Africa, New Zealand, Sweden, Norway and Germany. Besides the Seven Sisters series, she wrote the Guardian Angels series for children in collaboration with her eldest son, Harry Whittaker; the first of these, Grace and the Christmas Angel, will be published in October. The proudest moment of her life was when, after 27 years as a published author, in the fall of 2019, The Butterfly Room topped the London Sunday Times bestseller list for the first time.
In North America, Atria Books has been Riley's publisher since 2012, beginning with The Orchid House, which Shelf Awareness called "a sweeping, poignant saga that will enthrall fans of The House at Riverton, Rebecca and Downton Abbey," followed by Girl on the Cliff, Lavender Garden, Midnight Rose and The Royal Secret. Atria most recently published The Sun Sister, the sixth book in the Seven Sisters series.
Kaitlin Olson, Riley's editor at Atria, said, "Lucinda's work was beloved by millions of readers, and it was easy to see why--her sweeping, epic novels allowed everyone to travel the world. We extend our deepest condolences to Lucinda's family and the readers who will miss her stories."
Jeremy Trevathan, managing director of Pan Macmillan's Adult Publishing Division, commented: "It's been an immense and very rare privilege to work with Lucinda. Popular fiction is often looked down on but when authors like Lucinda break through and strike an emotional chord with their readers that really is the joy of publishing. Lucinda had an enormous capacity for fun, friendship and love, and I was honoured to call her a friend. I, and the whole team at Pan Mac, are so thankful to have been given the opportunity to go on this journey with her. I am going to miss her terribly and I know many of my colleagues here and around the world will do so too."